In the manufacture and design of semiconductors, flip chip technology provides a method for connecting and packaging integrated circuit (IC) chips. The manner in which IC chips are packaged dictates overall cost, performance, and reliability of the packaged chips, although sometimes in a detrimental manner.
For example, a thermal interface material (TIM) member may be applied to a substrate in preparation for the assembly of a heat sink and/or other type lid to the substrate after an underfill material has been injected between the substrate and an IC chip that has been flip chip mounted to the substrate. However, if the underfill material has spread into the region where the TIM member is to be applied, the TIM will not adequately adhere to the substrate, which can result in insufficient cooling of the IC chip and/or inadequate adhesion of the heat sink and/or other type of lid to the substrate.